Abstract:
Quail farming is one of the most promising livelihoods due to the high demand for cheap eggs and meat with good protein sources that do not compromise health. In recent years, turmeric (Curcuma longa Linn.) has been utilized as a feed additive alternative to synthetic antibiotics in poultry production. This study was conducted to investigate the potential of turmeric rhizome powder (TRP) as dietary supplements on the laying performance, egg quality traits, and return on investment of laying Japanese quails. A total of 150 (110 days old) female quails were used in the feeding trial and arranged in a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) experimental set-up with 5 treatments replicated three times, having 10 birds in every replication. hTe treatments were: control group fed with commercial quail laying mash (T 1), homemade quail laying mash (HQLM) with 0% TRP (T2), HQLM + 1% TRP (T3), HQLM + 3% TRP (T4), and HQLM + 5% (T5) turmeric rhizome powder. The results revealed that supplementation of TRP into the diet of Japanese quails significantly influenced (p<0.05) the voluntary feed intake, percent egg production, feed conversion ratio, and egg yolk color. Moreover, numerical values on body weight, weight gain, egg weight, egg shape index, shell weight, and return on investment were higher in quails supplemented with TRP than those without TRP supplementation. In conclusion, supplementation of 5% TRP in the diet of laying quails seems potential to improve the egg yolk color, increase egg production, and obtain higher net income.
Keywords:
egg production
,
| Turmeric
,
Coturnix japonica
,
Laying performance
,
Egg quality